A young Colombian woman who had plans to travel the world has been left traumatised after a brutal alleged attack on her and her sister at an Auckland mall. / Video by Michael Craig
A Colombian woman who desperately wants to go home after an alleged attack at an Auckland shopping mall has been told she cannot fly because of the broken bones in her face.
The 23-year-old, who had plans to travel the world, had been visiting her older sister in New Zealand when the pair were allegedly attacked at Dressmart Mall in Onehunga on Friday, January 18, about 4.30pm.
The sisters, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, have been left so traumatised they are afraid to leave the house.
Two Colombian sisters say they are too scared to leave their home after the alleged attack. Photo / Michael Craig
The elder sister, who has lived in New Zealand since August 2016, said the alleged attack felt racially-motivated.
They were approached by a couple they did not know, who began pushing them, laughing at them, and telling them "to get out of our space", she said.
"It definitely seemed racist. We were speaking Spanish to each other and they were just laughing at us, and telling us we were not allowed in their space."
She got out her phone and began filming them.
"The guy took my phone and threw it on the ground, attempting to break it, then the woman grabbed me by my hair, her nails scratching my face, and hitting me," she claimed.
"I was screaming for people to help us and call the police, but nobody came."
The couple fled but the sisters followed, taking photos they hoped could be used to identify them.
Once outside they confronted the couple again and the man allegedly punched the younger sister in the eye. She fell, cracking her face on the concrete, breaking three bones.
Two men came over and helped the sisters while they waited for the police to arrive. The couple fled the scene.
The younger sister was seeing a specialist this week to find out if she needed surgery to insert metal plates in her face to repair the broken bones.
She had a flight booked home for Tuesday but had been told it was not safe to fly with her injuries.
"I just want to go home, I miss my family, it is a really hard moment.
"My sister always said for me to come to New Zealand, it is a safe country, with beautiful landscapes.
"When I arrived we went to the South Island for a week, and I could see lot of this paradise."
Her older sister had no broken bones but had a concussion and was suffering from painful headaches.
The sisters said they were traumatised from the incident and struggled to leave their house.
"Two days ago we tried to go out for dinner, but I got so anxious I had to come home," the younger sister said.
Colombian ex-pat Fernanda Penny has been supporting the two young Colombian women. Photo / Supplied
They had planned to travel around the North Island last week, visiting the Coromandel Peninsula, Rotorua, and Hobbiton but instead had been at home, recovering.
"I am not feeling safe. I am scared, I don't want to go outside. I have trauma, and think these guys will appear."
She had dreams to travel the world.
"My perception of the world has maybe changed a little bit. I hope, in my future that changes. I am young, I want to travel the world."
The older sister said she did not want it to affect her own plans to continue living in New Zealand.
"I brought my sister here to show her why I fell in love with New Zealand. I don't want this episode to break my plans [to live in new Zealand]. I want justice."
A police spokeswoman said one man had been charged and they were continuing to make inquiries about the incident, including the alleged assault by the woman.
A 23-year-old man will appear in Auckland District Court on February 8 charged with two counts of assault.
Police would not comment on if there was any racial element to the alleged attacks.
Colombian ex-pat Fernanda Penny had reached out to support the two women, and said she had heard of similar incidents involving South Americans speaking Spanish.
While she had not been attacked herself, Penny said when she first arrived in New Zealand 10 years ago with limited English she was verbally abused.
"One time I was in the supermarket, speaking with my son in Spanish, and somebody told me to stop and speak English. They said, 'We speak English in this country'.
"It made me very frightened and afraid to go out, thinking I was making people angry by speaking Spanish."
Penny, now a New Zealand citizen, works with exchange students, many from South America and said she had heard similar stories, including four other instances that involved physical violence.
"It is sad. In Colombia people think New Zealand is safe. In Colombia we have violence, but it is different, it is not racist. We don't expect [New Zealand] not to want foreigners. This [latest incident] has made the news in Colombia and people are contacting me, asking if it is safe to come here."
